Muslims in America: When Bullying Meets Religion

Bullying is an equal-opportunity crisis, affecting students of every age, 
race, and creed. The dimension that makes the bullying of Muslim students 
particularly disturbing centers around the open prejudices and fears of 
adults, giving the green light to non-Muslim children that it’s okay — even 
patriotic — to discriminate. Muslim students report that an administrator at 
one school screamed at a 13-year old to remove her hijab (religious head 
scarf) until the girl broke down in tears. A guest speaker at another school 
handed out literature demonizing Islam in a social sciences class. When 
adults, especially educators, join in the bullying, it’s not only hurtful, 
say students, it’s a betrayal of trust. But educators have found that when 
just one caring adult supports a student, it can make a world of difference, 
creating a positive ripple effect that goes beyond one student and one 
classroom.

Is the Fast of ‘Ashūrā’ Similar to Passover or Yom Kippur?

The fast of ‘Ashūrā’ was prescribed before the fasts of Ramaḍān. The Jews observed it and so did the people of Arabia before the dawn of Islam. It is related by Imam Bukhāri on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās that when the Prophet came to Madīnah he found that the Jews observed the fast of ‘Ashūrā’. He enquired about it from them and was told that it was the day on which God had delivered the Children of Israel from the enemy and Moses used to keep a fast on it as an expression of gratitude to the Almighty. The Prophet thereupon, remarked that Moses has a greater claim upon me than upon you,’ and he fasted on that day and instructed his followers to do the same.

Khalid Al Ameri | A Tomorrow Too Far

Well here is something to think about. Today was not “Just Another Day”, today was A DAY, a day to make a difference, a day to love those around you, a day to try something new and grow in every aspect of your life. The problem at the heart of this issue is that when we as a people put our primary focus on tomorrow, we lose sight of the blessing of today.

Somalia: Internship In the Famine Stricken Region

My first impression of Somalia was one of a broken world, one of no order where chaos prevails above all other things. I spent a day in Nairobi the day before visiting orphanages. I thought I’d use my time in Nairobi to gain an understanding of what life in East Africa was actually like. I thought this would equip me to cope with the devastation that I was to experience in Somalia.

No Bearer of Burden: A short story

The atmosphere around me is one of urgency and the mood is intense. I shudder. I look around and find myself surrounded by faces looking on in awe. I reach out to touch an arm, it retracts. I grab a hand, it slithers out of my grasp. Breaking out in a cold sweat, I too begin to imitate the hushed, anxious crowd. I know where I am now. This is the Day of Judgment.

Free Will and Determinism from a Scientific and Religious Perspective

The debate over free will, already two millennia old[1], is still ongoing. Academic conferences, books and journal articles continue to address these issues, with different ‘experts’ arguing for often radically different theories.[2] Modern science and data have introduced new elements and angles, but this old issue is by no means settled. I felt it is appropriate to start out with some preliminary, more general comments about science and faith. Then, I proceed to discuss the neuroscientific data (experiments by Libet, etc) that is often cited against the existence of free will, followed by a presentation of additional evidence in favor of free-will. Finally, I briefly discuss determinism (including genetics), and how subscribing to it does not rule out personal responsibility.

Unspoken for: The Unheard Victims of Domestic Violence Part 2

written by an Anonymous Guest Seeing the Truth Little by little, day by day, as she continued her irrational behavior, my mother’s abuse began to finally wear down on the

The Fate of Prostitutes

The flourishing of prostitution in Muslim countries is a paradox that we often overlook as a problem of our ummah. As prostitution is condemned and forbidden in Islam, and these women, to an extent, are marginalized and invisible in our community, many of us are not aware of the magnitude and realities of this problem. We do not consider them as a cause worth fighting for as we do for the betterment of the poor, abused, homeless, oppressed and ailing.

UCLA’s 23rd Annual MLK Oratorical Competition | Winning Speech by a Muslim Youth

By: Hafiz Sohaib Baig Transcript: بسـم الله الرحمن الرحيم   I will first start with a verse from the Qurʾān, which I will recite in Arabic and then read the

Unspoken for: The Unheard Victims of Domestic Violence Part 1

My parents’ disputes could and would start over anything and everything, although money and invalidating of feelings were two strong sparks. My mother believed divorce was not an option because she could not work and support all of us herself. My father did divorce my mother once in a fit of anger, but then asked for her back. He told me he loved my mother and would never want to divorce her as this would break our family apart. Despite the illusion that our family is together, it is broken.